TRY GLAMPING

The Glamping (glamorous camping) trend continues to grow and is proving a lucrative option for farmers looking to diversify. Whether they have a small farm or a large estate, there may be space in a paddock or woodland for one or even several safari style canvas lodges.

Last Summer Halfords conducted a study which revealed that 50 per cent of families planned to camp, hot on the heels of the trend to Staycation, rather than go abroad. People seem to have rediscovered the joys of a UK holiday spent outdoors, as long as they have their home comforts, along with a chance to swap the high tech life for a simpler one.

Amanda Norman, moved away from the 120 acre East Sussex family farm, specialising in rare breeds, in her early twenties to work in IT in London. By the time she was married with two children, her parents were looking to retire. They needed to sell Dernwood Farm to realise capital so they invited Amanda and Tim to buy into the business in order to save the farm.  Amanda tried to find ways to improve profitability. “We tried farmer’s markets, adopting a piglet and would have showcased wooden play structures (but the council did not give permission) before finally hitting on camping four years ago. This has been a huge success and we were thrilled to be voted one of the top 10 campsites by the camper’s luxury guidebook – Cool Camping.”  

Dernwood Farm now offers a camping to Glamping experience to suit everyone.  Initially starting with “wild camping” which simply required the pitches (and a shovel), which is still proving very popular. The following year they added the bell tent, which had been used for her sister’s honeymoon, to the website and got a great response. Two more bell tents with wood burning stoves, eco showers and loos were added last year. Now the first luxury safari style lodge from Albion Canvas is on order and will be ready for Spring – half of August is already booked. Albion will set up the three bedroom lodge, including installing the wood burning stove with cooker, in an 8 acre sunny glade.

Getting planning permission included commissioning a general biodiversity survey.  Dernwood Farm has 70 acres of ancient coppiced woodland, which in addition to providing an idyllic setting for the camping, has also helped with planning permission. The forestry commission woodland management plan concluded that rotating the position of the tents will help to reintroduce the traditional coppicing that started in the 1600’s to fuel the iron ore industry there.

Amanda would like to have applied for a grant, but found the process was going to delay the launch, so pressed ahead by leasing one safari style tent over three years through Green Technologies, adding an extra £3,000 to the capital outlay. Fuelled by the success of the first lodge, she hopes to get a grant to add two more of these luxury lodges next year.   She hopes that she will be able to manage the change overs with just some part time help in high season.  By installing some excellent software (her previous career in IT coming in useful), bookings are no longer labour intensive and the 50% deposit has helped with cash flow. Whilst Glamping sites were keen to have Dernwood on their sites, Amanda preferred to keep complete control over bookings and not give away hefty commissions.

In Hampshire, Jack Tyrwhitt-Drake runs Cedar Valley Glamping on the family’s 2,500 acre Bereleigh estate in the South Downs National Park. After one successful season with just one tent, he has ordered three more.  The safari style lodges will be located in 5 acres of woodland with stunning views of sunsets.  To date guests have included corporate clients, plus hen and stag parties, attracted by the outdoor activities including the estate’s own shoot.  Jack shares the work load with his mother. With the additional tents there will be twenty-four bed changes per week.  To make this more economical, he plans to convert an old stable into a laundry so that it can be done on site.

Both Glamping sites have chosen tents which are handmade by Albion Canvas, creators of luxury tented lodges and geodesic domes, in their factory in Wellington, Somerset. The uniquely designed range of Safari-style tents have a central pole, a separate PVC outer flysheet and a complete canvas inner tent, which gives good thermal insulation in hot and cold weather, as well as sound proofing, making it useable all year round – even in the Alps, to where they recently fulfilled their first export order.

The Grand Tsavo, the largest of Albion’s five models, has interior space of 11.8 metres x 5 metres, which can be laid out in a number of ways to create separate rooms for living, sleeping and bathing, plus an outside deck of 2 metres. All models are designed to take a wood burning stove.  New for 2012 is the Zambesi, based on a traditional African “Rondavel” with an acrylic canvas roof, canvas walls, 3 opening windows and a solid external door and frame and fabric internal roof lining.

In addition to supplying the lodges, Albion can also erect and fully equip them, with locally made wood burning stoves, kitchens, bathrooms and furnishings.  Prices start from approximately £18,000 for the tent, installation, internal fixtures and fittings including the kitchen, wood burning stove and furniture (excluding bathroom fittings), or around £22,000 including the bathroom.

Orders take approximately four to six weeks to fulfil.

Albion Canvas Company, Unit 4, Tonedale Business Park, Wellington, Somerset, TA21 0AW

www.albioncanvas.co.uk

Tel +44 (0) 1823 665849
Fax +44 (0) 1823 665850

sales@albioncanvas.co.uk

Ends

For further press information please contact:

Tina Morgan

Tina Morgan Media Relations

023 92 826922

07881 820108

We have just installed our first Satara in Switzerland, high in the Alps at Crans Montana.

This specially reinforced version with heavier poles and the same anchorage system as the large Tsavo lodges is the first of its kind, designed to take on the more challenging climate conditions.

It was supplied through our distributor based in Belgium – ‘Where’s the Moose’ – www.wheresthemoose.be and the customer is looking to take delivery of a Tsavo in the New Year.

Updated Images:

Boldscan secured this unique commission from Olympic contractor Lee Warren.  The Company is known for manufacturing of marquees and engineered fabrics and incorporates Albion Canvas – creators of luxury tented lodges and geodesic domes.  The pods all have vital functions to perform throughout the games, from housing camera, projection and lighting equipment to providing launch platforms, shelter and resting places for the aerial acrobats taking part in the opening and closing ceremonies.

Boldscan Managing Director – Steve Hansford said of the commission

“We were really honoured to take on this job, contractors Lee Warren created the steel structures and our PVC skins provide the ideal hard wearing and weatherproof covering for the pods.  Form meets function as the end product is unobtrusive and adds an element of style to the overall design of the stadium.  It’s good to know we are doing our bit to make London 2012 a success for the UK”.

The frames for all 18 pods will be craned into position later this month and bolted into place enabling the Boldscan outer skins to be added.  The project is expected to be completed by the end of November.  On completion the pods will be accessible by ladders with heavier equipment craned into position.

The Dandelion Hideaway has a great new movie on their website at thedandelionhideaway.co.uk. Please visit there site. You can see our Tsavo's in the movie, click the image below to open up the movie page -

For further information on the Tsavo please get in touch.

Having just returned from Kenya in the last few days, it was a stark reality check from my previous visits.  Arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and being met by Duncan, driving in Nairobi the trees were full of Marabou storks, talking to Duncan he explained due to the draught in the country these fabulous birds were coming into the city to scavenge food.

This was a real problem, due to the numbers and only the day before I’d arrived the airport was closed for two hours because the storks had invaded the airport and were a danger to the aircraft.

Flying a couple of days later to Mombasa in a small aircraft it was very apparent to me the scale of the drought and the problems these areas of Africa are suffering.

In Mombasa I visited a number of factories, just to tell you about two –

Likoni Quality Furniture Factory is a project run by the Association of the Physically Disabled of Kenya (A.P.D.K) and working with Albert Mutua Project Manager.  We are currently developing a partnership to supply furniture and support this project here in the UK for further information see www.apaklimofurniture.org

Akamba Handicraft Industry Cooperative Society offers a range of wooden handicrafts; this community of over 5000 people work together to their mutual benefit, again Albion Canvas is looking to work with them, to supply their art in the UK see www.akambahandicraftcoop.com for further information.

Taking a little time off over the weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Tsavo reserve.  The name given to our lodge, click here if you are interested to see some photo’s taken on this excursion.         

Tsavo Safari Lodge

We will be exhibiting at the Midland Game Fair on the Countryside Alliance stand.

Please come and see our stylish and fun lodge – ideal for luxury camping, hunting lodges and bunk houses.

We look forward to meeting you.

Cedar Valley is the latest exciting venue to enjoy luxury camping in the Tsavo Safari tents.

This beautiful site based close to the historic city of Worcester offers a great experience for all the family.

Visit www.cedarvalley.co.uk 

Boldscan have just installed six large Kizaki Sky Shades at the county ground Taunton.

The new range of sky shades offer venues, and the indidual a bespoke service in design and flexibility, see http://www.kizaki.co.uk/ for more details.

Ideal Home Show Scotland
27 May – 30th May 2011
SECC Glasgow

Ideal Home Show Scotland makes a welcome return to Glasgow's SECC, with a brand new team and show format.  From 27th-30th May 2011, the award-winning show brings together more than 400 exhibitors with an ideal mix of brand names, international and Scotland-based retailers to offer a unique one-stop shopping experience across all areas of the home.

From interiors to home improvement, gardens to gadgets, the show will be packed with home solutions, show discounts, entertainment, celebrity guest appearances and of course the iconic show houses.  A great day out for all the family!

Albion Canvas is pleased to announce the introduction of our latest service to garden designers, architects and home owners.  
Thanks to the latest technology we can not only design and create a bespoke sun shade for your home, school or workplace we can produce accurate 3D models positioned digitally on the earths surface to the correct latitude and longitude.  In effect this means we can accurately plot the movement of the sun at any time of the year and check your shade for maximum benefit.

They are designed to give you maximum benefit during the summer months when you are most likely to be enjoying your outside living.

We are showing some designs from multilayer multi colour, interlocking sky sails to more fixed patio shades, this is only limited by your imagination and our design team bringing your ideas to life.   

Steve Hansford Boldscan’s Managing Director is pleased to announce the purchase of a new computerised cutting table.  This major investment in high tech machinery is only the latest stage following the expansion of the manufacturing premises to over 14,000 square foot in 2009.

Steve commented this 70k investment will help to improve quality across the range of products.

Since the Albion Canvas merger in November 2010 and the development of our range of Tsavo and Satara lodges it became apparent very quickly this was the way forward for us.    

Albion Canvas are pleased to announce the delivery of the first Grand Tsavo.

Delivered the first week in January 2011 with a further four on order for delivery at the end of February 2011 to Osbaston House Farm – www.osbastonhousefarm.co.uk.

John and Sharon Earp will be pleased to welcome enquiries for what they describe as Vintage Farm ‘Glamping’ with oodles of fun.

Telephone number: 01455 291291

E-mail: enquiries@osbastonhousefarm.co.uk

Albion Canvas are pleased to announce the appointment of:

Where’s The Moose
19 Rue des Ecoles
B – 1476 Houtain Le Val
Belgium

Contact name: Anne Potemans

Telephone number: 00 32 (0) 67331 361

E-mail: anne@themoose.be

As our distributor for the Tsavo and the Satara range of tents in Belgium, France, Netherlands and Luxembourg

We welcome all oversea’s enquiries and if you are looking for new business opportunities and would be interested in becoming a distributor for these exciting new structures, please contact Alan on + 44 (0) 1823 653034 – www.albioncanvas.co.uk.

The Albion Website has gone under a much needed face lift.....woooo hoooo. We hope this makes our products a little easier and clearer to find. It's been designed that way. Have a nose around and if you have any comments on the site please let us know. If you have any questions on our products or if you are after finding out about our special builds and capabilities, please dont hesitiate in giving us a bell. Ask for Alan or John on 01823 653034 and we'd be happy to give you the low down.